Afghanistan

In previous journalism classes, we have learned about the duties of journalism. These duties include being a watchdog, making sure the government is doing its job, and giving the people the information they need to know to make informed decisions and to be safe in the world that they are living in. These values were explained within the context of American journalism, but many countries could definitely benefit from holding these same things important.

As far as Afghanistan goes, as important as it is to keep it's own population informed, it is just as important to continue to broadcast what is going on there to the world. As a unstable country, it seems, at least in the opinion of the people who made this video, it will be difficult to keep their heads above water without foreign assistance. Afghanistan needs journalism to make sure they are not swept under the rug, forgotten, and as a result succumb to the Taliban again.

The watchdog element is also very important in keeping Afghanistan moving forward. If they are able to stay in control of their media and continually keep track of what the government is doing, it will be more difficult to shady business to begin to creep in again. Having an independent media source has proved, time and time again, important in avoiding authoritarian rule. When Mussolini came to power, one of the most effective ways he gained control and spread fascism was to take over the media and require every journalist to be a registered fascist. Afghanistan has been there before, Taliban rule is not a distant memory, and they recognize that one of the best ways to steer clear of it is to keep control of their media.

It was also interesting to hear the positive Afghani support of our occupation there. I don't know if that man speaks for everyone, but it seemed that perhaps having troops over there isn't the worst thing in the world. There is a very strong sense of opposition to being in Afghanistan at all, of course there is, nobody ever wants to have to put Americans in danger. It was reassuring to hear that we aren't being a complete nuisance. That guy is right, we cannot stay there forever, though, and I wonder what steps we will/are putting in place to make sure we leave it safely.